


Surgeon General's Warning

by 852_Prospect_Archivist



Category: The Sentinel
Genre: Angst, Drama, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-10
Updated: 2013-05-10
Packaged: 2017-12-11 06:46:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,797
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/795048
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/852_Prospect_Archivist/pseuds/852_Prospect_Archivist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steven learns the truth.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Surgeon General's Warning

## Surgeon General's Warning

by silvina

Standard Disclaimer. They're not mine, but I hear they make a great stocking stuffer. (Get your mind out of the sewer! <g>) Please send comments, questions, compliments, and otters to sdelcul@yahoo.com.

* * *

\--I don't understand you deserve so much more than this-- \--So don't tell me why he's never been good to you-- \--Don't tell me why he's never been there for you-- \--Don't you know that why is simply not good enough-- \--So just let me try and I will be good to you-- \--Just let me try and I will be there for you-- \--I'll show you why you're so much more than good enough...-- Sarah McLachlan, "Mary" 

* * *

"That better be him on the phone," Steven muttered as Jim headed towards the ringing phone. 

Jim paused upon hearing the words but decided to ignore them. "Hey, Chief, what's the holdup?" 

"Sorry, Jim." Blair laughed. "I'm kinda stuck here for a while." 

"Let me guess . . . .you met a girl." 

"Close. She's female all right, but she's also a student. Her boyfriend broke up with her and she's got midterms." 

"Let's see, she came in crying, and you couldn't not help." 

Again Blair laughed. "You got me, man." 

"How long?" 

"You might as well go on without me. It's going to take half an hour just to get her to stop crying." 

"You sure?" 

"Yeah. Go on, have fun with your brother. I'll just catch the score from you later." 

"All right." 

"See you later." 

Steven was watching him expectantly from the rim of his coffee cup. "So?" 

"He can't make it." 

"Big surprise." Stephen snorted. 

Jim shrugged. "Let's go." 

Three hours later he came home, lightly buzzed from one beer. The loft was dark, but not to him. Blair was asleep in the middle of the bed, and, accepting the invitation, Jim spread out over him like a blanket. Seconds later, the only noise in apartment 3-J was the hum of the fridge and light snoring. 

* * *

"So, how'd the game go last night?" 

Jim found it hard to talk with a toothbrush in his mouth and didn't answer, causing Blair to look over at him. 

"Sorry." 

Jim finished up. "Funny, you don't sound the slightest bit apologetic," he teased. 

Blair finished washing the razor off in the sink. "Maybe it's because I just love minty-fresh Jim." 

Laughing, he cleaned off a little bit of foam from Blair's chin and dabbed it on his nose before Blair ducked away. 

"Jim! That tickles. You almost got foam up my nose." 

"Oh, poor baby." He kissed him deeply in apology. 

"Went well, did it?" 

Jim shrugged. "Thanks for pushing me." 

"If it gets me another kiss like that, you're more than welcome." Blair wagged his eyebrows. 

"Don't you want to know the score?" 

"Nah, I just want to score . . . ." 

They were both late to work. 

* * *

Three weeks later, Blair was late again. A mile from the loft he started chanting under his breath. "Late. Sorry. I'm almost there. I'm coming. I'm coming. . . . {snort} Pervert. Later, though." 

While finding a parking spot: "Sorry, man. It wasn't my fault though." 

In the elevator: "Please be there. Sorry I'm late. Slow elevator. I'm coming." 

As he came in the door which Jim, sweet Jim, was holding open as he and Steven were coming out, Jim grabbed Blair's backpack and tossed it in the door before shutting and locking it, pulling a startled Blair along who was in the elevator again before he could blink. 

When he marshaled his brain cells to speak, " Sorry Jim la-" 

Jim started laughing. "Yes, Chief. I know." 

"Well, then. Hey, Steven." 

"Blair." 

* * *

"Hey, Steven, you up for dinner tonight?" 

"What, no Blair?" 

"He's taking some kids on a dig in New Mexico." 

"Sure. I'd love to. Where would you like to go?" 

"How 'bout the loft? It's too quiet here without Blair." 

"Oh. Okay." 

"Great! Don't worry about bringing anything." 

"Bye, Jim." 

"See you." 

* * *

Even though Jim had said not to bring anything, Steven couldn't help himself. He was going to get to spend some time with his brother, alone, and he was going to make sure everything was perfect. 

He wasn't surprised when Jim opened the door before he knocked. They may not have been the closest of brothers, but Steven Michael Ellison wasn't stupid. 

He also wasn't stupid when he peeked into what he thought was Blair's room on his way back from the bathroom after they'd eaten. He realized what was up. 

"You're sleeping with him too? Can't you do anything normally, Jim?" He joked, pulling on his coat. 

"What?" 

"You're a freak. See you later." He closed the door behind him. 

"What the-" 

* * *

"I'm home!" 

"Blair!" 

He laughed as Jim raced from the bedroom down the stairs to land in front of him and swing him around in a bear hug. 

"Did ya miss me?" 

"Nah. What did you bring me?" 

"You sound like a little kid . . .. . and what makes you think I brought you anything?" 

"Silly Blair. You always bring me something." 

"What are you, seven?" 

Later that night Blair reassured himself that Jim had been all right in his absence. "I missed you." He rubbed a palm against Jim's chest. 

Jim moved over to lie on his back, so Blair could get his fill of touching. And rubbing. Rubbing was good. Very good. "Mmmm" 

"You're sure everything was okay while I was gone? Your senses, the station . . . . Jim? . . Jim?" 

He was asleep! Blair laughed softly to himself, and settled down to join him. Sleep followed quickly. 

* * *

"Ellison." 

"Jim? This is Steve. I enjoyed dinner last week. Think we could do it again? Are you free tonight?" 

"Sorry. Blair has a lecture." 

"Are _you_ free?" 

"Uhh. He just got back, Steve. I want to be there when he gets home." He could hear his younger brother grinding his teeth and was surprised. Steven had seemed to take the news rather calmly. 

"Can't you do something without him?" 

"Steven, do you have a problem with me and - " 

"Oh please. Don't try calling me homophobic or something. I don't care if you're sleeping with Blair or half the station! I just wanted my brother back, and come to find out that he can't be bothered to spend time with me without a little reward!" 

"That's not true!" 

"Isn't it? Take a good look at yourself, Jim. If it wasn't for Blair, would you be anywhere near me, right now?" 

Jim looked around. No one had noticed his agitation. Yet. It was a police station. They could notice any moment now. And one of them would tell Blair. "I can't do this now. I have to go." 

"Run, Jim, run. Is that it?" Stephen said bitterly. 

* * *

He started talking as soon as they were on the road home. "I can't believe him. I mean the way he-" 

"Well, it's true, anyway." 

"What the hell are you talking about?" 

Blair shrugged. "He's right." He slammed the door of the car and headed towards the elevator. 

"No he isn't." 

"Just listen to me for a moment. In a way, he isn't exactly wrong." 

Fumbling with his key, Jim opened the door. "Shut up." 

"Wait. Please?" 

"What." 

"Sit down." 

Jim sat stiffly on the edge of the cushion. Blair, in contemplative mode, lectured as he paced. He always taught best with plenty of room to move. 

"He's right by fact, not by intent. You have been rewarded every time you spent any time with him. I mean, not to give myself any undue credit, but I think it's safe to say that you enjoy my company, right?" He looked at Jim who grudgingly agreed. 

"Most of the time I went with you two, and the rest of time, well, the rest of the time there was usually some good sex when we both got home." 

Jim smiled. 

"It wasn't a conscious thing, but in a way, between my 'suggestions' and everything else, you were sort of being rewarded for spending time with your brother. Positive reinforcement to get you to do something he feels you otherwise wouldn't. I can see how that would hurt him." 

"But I didn't mean it that way." 

Blair stepped closer, and this time Jim didn't push him away. "I know. But he doesn't. He doesn't feel very important to you right now, you know. He's unsure, and that's making it easy for him to believe that the _only_ reason you were spending time with him was because of the _special rewards_ ," Blair finger quoted, " you were getting. At first, it was probably bad enough that I was always tagging along. He wants to be your brother, and you've already sort of got me in that role. And then he finds out that he's not just competing with a friend, he's competing with-" 

"But it isn't a competition." 

"To him it is. You were both raised by your father, who made you compete for his affection. Maybe part of Steven thought he was reliving that with you and me." 

"All right, so what am I supposed to do now? How do I convince him that I wasn't pitting the two of you that way?" 

"That's what I don't know." Blair threw himself dramatically on the couch, laying his head on Jim's knee pitifully. 

"It's not your fault." 

"Who knows? Maybe I was, in a way. Not consciously of course, but it makes me rather crafty don't you think? And as the rewarder, I of course don't -" He attempted to deflate Jim's anger and worry. 

"Shut up, Darwin. It wasn't your fault." 

He smiled and became serious again. "Maybe. But it isn't your fault either. And it doesn't matter whose fault it is, if it doesn't help us now." 

"It's going to be okay, Jim. It really is." 

* * *

He knocked on the door, hoping Steven wasn't avoiding him. "We need to talk." 

Steven moved from the door. He didn't _invite_ him in, but he didn't try and close the door or anything. 

"What is there to talk about?" 

"Us. Blair. Dad." 

"And if I don't want to?" 

Jim sighed. "Then I'll wait until you're ready." That seemed to take all the air out of Steven. "You'll always be my little brother, Stevie." 

"I just -" 

"I know. But maybe we can try again? How about you come over for dinner tomorrow?" 

"Blair's okay with this? I've been kind of distant to him." 

"He just wants what's best for me." 

"Okay." 

"Okay?" 

"Okay." 

"Okay." 

* * *

End Surgeon General's Warning by silvina: sdelcul@yahoo.com

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